It is well known that in multi-layer color photographic light-sensitive materials of the type where color-forming couplers are contained in a silver halide photographic light-sensitive emulsion and which are developed with para-phenylenediamine, etc., oxidized color developing agents which are formed at the time of development transfer into adjacent image-forming layers, produce undesirable dyes, i.e., cause the so-called "color turbidity" or "color mixing" phenomenon. It is also known that the undesirable "color fog" phenomenon is caused by aerial oxidation of developing agents, fogging of emulsions, and so forth at the time of color development.
The term "color stain" is used herein to include both the "color turbidity" and "color fog".
In order to prevent the color stain, it has been proposed to use hydroquinones. Various hydroquinones have heretofore been proposed, including mono-straight chain alkylhydroquinones (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,728,659 and Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 106329/74 (the term "OPI" as used herein means a "published unexamined Japanese patent application")), mono-branched alkylhydroquinones (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,453, West German Patent Laid-Open No. 2,149,789, and Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 156438/75 and 106329/75), di-straight chain alkylhydroquinones (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,728,657, 2,732,300, British Pat. Nos. 752,146 and 1,086,208 and Chemical Abstract, Vol. 58, 6367h), and di-branched alkylhydroquinones (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,700,453, 2,732,300, British Pat. No. 1,086,208, Chemical Abstract, Vol. 58, 6367h, Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 21249/75, 40818/81, and Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 156438/75).
In addition, the use of alkylhydroquinones as color stain inhibitors is described in British Pat. Nos. 558,258, 557,750 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 2,360,290), 557,802, 731,301 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 2,701,197), U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,336,327, 2,403,721, 3,582,333, West German Patent Laid-Open No. 2,505,016 (corresponding to Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 110337/75), and Japanese Patent Publication No. 40816/81.
It is also known that in color diffusion transfer photographic light-sensitive materials the color turbidity phenomenon occurs as in the usual color photographic light-sensitive materials. In order to prevent this phenomenon, hydroquinones as described above are used. For example, hydroquinones to be used as color turbidity inhibitors for diffusion transfer light-sensitive materials are described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 21249/83.
The use of sulfonamidophenols as color turbidity inhibitors for diffusion transfer light-sensitive materials is described in Research Disclosure, 15162 (1973), page 83, and Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 72158/80 and 24941/82 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,226).
In the field of production of color photographic light-sensitive materials, in order to produce higher quality color photographs, it has recently been strongly desired to develop novel color stain inhibitors which more efficiently prevent color stain without lowering photographic sensitivity, can be added to light-sensitive materials which are reduced in thickness in order to increase sharpness, can be stored for long periods of time withoug causing changes in performance, and further which contribute to improvement of light-fastness of dye images formed by color development.